Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding external source. It can be perceived in one or both ears, or in the head, or outside the head. It is usually described as a ringing noise, but can also be in other forms such as hissing, buzzing, or roaring sounds. Tinnitus can be intermittent or it can be continuous and in such cases can be a cause of great distress to the sufferer.
Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom resulting from a range of possible underlying causes including, for example, ear infections, foreign objects or wax in the ear, nose allergies, noise-related trauma, side effect of medication or other unexplained causes. Currently, there is no surgical cure for tinnitus. However, temporary relief for sufferers can be provided by external sound devices, for example masking instruments, as tinnitus sufferers often indicate that their tinnitus is less audible in the presence of sounds.
Typically, masking instruments use a noise generator to deliver a masking sound to the patient in order to mask the tinnitus. The masking instruments are often customised in that the frequency and intensity of the masking sound is often matched to the frequency and intensity of the tinnitus as perceived by the individual patient, and which can be assessed by an audiologist using various tests. Masking can be provided through ear-level or non-ear level sound generation devices including, for example, table top generators, bedside maskers, personal sound systems, standalone ear-level “maskers” for patients with normal hearing, and combination devices such as maskers integrated with hearing aids for the hearing impaired.
Another approach to tinnitus management, is the recent trend toward using Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). TRT is a specific clinical method based on a neurophysiological model of tinnitus. The method is aimed at habituation of reactions evoked by tinnitus, and subsequently habituation of the tinnitus perception. Typically, the therapy involves counseling, aimed at reclassification of tinnitus to a category of a neutral signal, and sound therapy, aimed at weakening tinnitus-related neuronal activity. Effectively the TRT method is trying to retrain the patient's brain so that they treat their tinnitus similar to natural sounds that they can accommodate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved tinnitus treatment system and method, or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.